DP-300 Plan and implement data platform resources Practice Question
You are responsible for cost optimization of a non-production Azure SQL Database that is used for development testing. The database is only active during business hours (9 AM to 5 PM) on weekdays. Which compute tier and configuration would minimize cost while ensuring the database is available during working hours?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume any tier with auto-pause enabled is sufficient, but they overlook that the underlying tier (e.g., Business Critical or Hyperscale) has a much higher base cost and is not designed for cost-optimized dev/test scenarios, making serverless the only truly cost-effective choice for intermittent usage.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use the serverless compute tier with auto-pause enabled and a 1-hour auto-pause delay.
The serverless compute tier with auto-pause enabled and a 1-hour auto-pause delay is the most cost-effective choice for a non-production database used only during business hours. Serverless automatically pauses the database after 1 hour of inactivity (e.g., overnight and weekends), charging only for compute during active periods and storage at all times. This aligns perfectly with the 9 AM–5 PM weekday usage pattern, minimizing cost while ensuring the database is available when needed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use the serverless compute tier with auto-pause enabled and a 1-hour auto-pause delay.
Why this is correct
Correct: Serverless tier with auto-pause pauses the database during inactivity, saving costs outside business hours.
- ✗
Use the Hyperscale tier with a minimum of 1 vCore and disable auto-pause.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Hyperscale is designed for large workloads and is not cost-effective for non-production testing.
- ✗
Use the provisioned General Purpose tier with 2 vCores and disable auto-pause.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Provisioned tier incurs cost continuously even when not in use, leading to higher costs.
- ✗
Use the provisioned Business Critical tier with 1 vCore and enable auto-pause.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Business Critical is more expensive and auto-pause is not available for provisioned tiers.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Overview of Azure Data Platform Options
Key term
Azure SQL Performance Tuning
Azure SQL Performance Tuning is the process of optimizing the speed and efficiency of queries and database operations in Microsoft Azure SQL Database or SQL Managed Instance to reduce latency and improve throughput.
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